The use of batteries and energy storage devices has become prevalent in today's world. According to LUX Research the market for energy storage in mobile applications will go from $28 billion in 2013 to $41 billion in 2018, excluding starter batteries, fixed installation batteries and super capacitors. Batteries are used to power everyday devices including laptops, tablets, smartphones, military devices, and increasingly, hybrid and electric cars. Unfortunately while these devices have become significantly more powerful and as a result require an increasing amount of energy to run, there have been few corresponding advancements in battery technology.
The first electrochemical battery was invented in the 1800s by Alessandro Volta. While there have been improvements over the years, the basic concept has not changed. Such batteries work by converting stored chemical energy into electrical energy. At its most basic level, a battery includes four main parts: a negative electrode (anode), a positive electrode (cathode), an electrolyte that allows ions to move between the anode to and the cathode during discharge (and in reverse during recharge) and two terminals that allow current to flow out from the battery to power a device or load connected to the battery.
When the circuit between the two terminals is complete, the battery produces electricity through electrochemical reaction(s) involving the anode, the electrolyte, and the cathode.
In order to increase the voltage (the potential energy of the battery) individual battery cells can be connected in series. In traditional batteries this can be accomplished by connecting battery plates internally via single-point solder joints or conductive-element-filled epoxies to a plurality of wires. The use of these wires has limited the type of materials that can be utilized for the cathode and anode. Furthermore, since it has been shown that the electron transfer radiates on the anode and cathode plates from the point of attachment, the wires are attached at a single point, they can bottleneck, or at least impede, the electron transfer involved in recharging or discharging a battery.
A battery's capacity can be increased by connecting the individual cells in parallel. Again, in traditional batteries this has been accomplished by connecting battery plates internally via single-point solder joints or conductive-element-filled epoxies to a plurality of wires which limits the type of materials that can be utilized for the cathode and anode, and creates a bottleneck with respect to the electron transfer involved in recharging or discharging a battery.
While other materials have shown promise in replacing lithium materials in rechargeable batteries, current battery structures limit their applicability. Due to a limited ability to make an effective wired connection to each battery plate and, since such battery cells have traditionally been connected internally via single-point solder joints or conductive-element-filled epoxies to a plurality of wires, this has limited the use of some alternative materials as well as limiting the charge and discharge current.
A battery that does not require that its plates be connected internally via single-point solder joints or via conductive-element-filled epoxies to a plurality of wires, would allow for alternative battery chemistries and capacitance storage plates to be used which would result in a new generation of batteries and energy storage devices. Additionally, the incorporation of conductive infusions containing carbon nanotubes or other particles that can be magnetically brought into alignment increases the energy transmission capability significantly. Such new batteries/capacitors can be made from non-toxic components, which theoretically can undergo far more charge/discharge cycles, are capable of charging in minutes not hours, and do not experience overcharging or polarity switching upon full discharge (both of which can cause thermal runaway in lithium-based batteries). Such a new generation of battery/capacitor represents significant advancements on numerous fronts.